The old saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" has several grains of truth. Many studies have proven breakfast to be a crucial ingredient in school success. Students perform better academically, exhibit better classroom behavior, and enjoy overall healthier diets when they eat breakfast. However, over 70% of teachers are still reporting students arriving to school hungry.
Reasons Students are Skipping Breakfast
- Bus delays
- The distance of the classroom to the cafeteria
- Arriving late
- Difficulty eating in the morning
- Difficulty affording enough food
- Feeling stigmatized for eating breakfast in the cafeteria
Moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom is extremely effective in increasing student participation in breakfast. FRAC found nearly 98% of students ate breakfast when it is offered in the classroom. Many issues with cafeteria breakfast are solved by moving breakfast into the classroom.
15 minutes
That is how long it takes to serve and clean-up breakfast in the classroom. Teachers can continue with morning announcements, roll call, homework check, or lesson reviews. Once a routine is formed, serving breakfast will not take away academic time in the classroom. Most schools will even find they can utilize their current kitchen and staff to switch to classroom breakfast.Better Behaved and Better Academic Performance
Breakfast in the classroom is proven to increase academic scores, improve student behavior, and healthier eating. Most schools find that benefits extend to the entire school with fewer disciplinary issues, higher standardized test scores, and overall improved the mental health of students.
Implementing Breakfast in the Classroom
To successfully transition into breakfast being served in the classroom, coordinate all members of the school community. Include food service professionals, administrators, teachers, and students with the transition.
Many schools have found breakfast being packed in bags or using shelf-stable, grab-n-go breakfast items that students grab on the way into the classroom are most efficient. This allows the teachers to continue their normal morning routine and have their students ready to start the day of learning!
We have put together a guide for teachers to make the most of the switch to breakfast in the classroom.
